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Is there anything worse than being sick over the summer? More importantly, is there anything worse than being sick over July 4th weekend?

I have had the misfortune of contracting a summer cold, leaving me enfeebled, sleepy, and coughing throughout the day. Alright, so it’s not that bad. Mostly I’ve been napping a lot and drinking aggressive amounts of tea.

The worst part of all is having to put all athletic endeavors on hold while my immune-ravaged body steadily recovers. This means that I’ve been doing a lot less working out and a lot more eating. I know that a cold is supposed to suppress the appetite, but let’s face it, I’m not hungry in any way but miserably bored. Worst of all is that I made a batch of incredibleeeeee chocolate chip, peanut butter chip and snickers blondies right before I got sick which have all promptly disappeared during my sick bout. (I know what you’re thinking and I love where your head is at – recipe comin’ atcha later!)

Anyway, last night I did manage to whip up something healthy and delicious. Let me preface this by saying, I don’t know what do with quinoa. I’ve had a package of quinoa in my pantry for a year that I’ve left untouched. This is not a joke. I’ve probably seen a million recipes that call for quinoa for breakfast or in desserts or as simple staple grains in meals….but they seem weird and are often tasteless when I actually make them. Until this guy….let me introduce: Spiced Quinoa with Black and Red Kidney Beans.

It’s tasty, easy to make, and chock-full of protein! More importantly, it’s also super easy to morph into whatever you want. If you want to use different spices or don’t like some of the ones that I’ve added, just substitute whatever works better for you!

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Then saute the garlic and onion for 3-4 min before also adding red peppers and tomatoes.
2. Add chicken broth and let it reach boiling before adding in quinoa. Add spices.
3. After 15 minutes, add in beans.

Voila! There you have it: Spiced Quinoa with Red and Black Beans. Just make sure you grab a piece of fruit beforehand to fight off any summer colds! 🙂